Unitary modular shake-siding panels, and methods for making and using such shake-siding panels

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed toward unitary modular shake panels, and methods for making and using such shake panels. In one aspect of the invention, a unitary modular shake panel includes an interconnecting section composed of a siding material and several integral shake sections projecting from the interconnecting section. The panel preferably has a quadrilateral shape with first and second edges along a longitudinal dimension that are separated from each other by a width of the panel along a transverse dimension. Additionally, the shake sections are separated from one another by slots extending from the second edge to an intermediate width in the panel. In a preferred embodiment, the panel is composed of a unitary piece of fiber-cement siding with a simulated wood grain running along the transverse dimension. The interconnecting section is preferably a web portion of the fiber-cement siding piece, and the shake sections are different portions of the same fiber-cement siding piece defined by the slots extending in the transverse dimension from the web portion to the second edge of the panel. Modular shake panels in accordance with the invention may be made using several different processes. In one embodiment, for example, a unitary modular shake panel is manufactured by the cutting planks from a sheet of siding material, and then forming slots in the panel to define the web portion and the shake sections. The planks are preferably cut from the sheet in a direction transverse to a wood grain on the surface of the sheet. The slots are preferably cut in the planks in the direction of the wood grain from a longitudinal edge to an intermediate depth within the plank.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention generally relates to exterior sidingmaterials for use on exterior walls of houses and other structures. Moreparticularly, the invention is directed toward unitary, modularshake-siding panels composed of fiber-cement siding or other suitablesiding materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The exterior walls of houses and other structures are oftenprotected and decorated with a variety of exterior siding productstypically made from wood, vinyl, aluminum, stucco or fiber-cement.Additionally, wood and fiber-cement siding products are generallyplanks, panels or shakes that are “hung” on plywood or composite walls.

[0003] Exterior siding shakes are popular products for protecting andenhancing the exterior appearance of homes, offices and otherstructures. Exterior siding shakes are typically small, rectilinearpieces of cedar or fiber-cement siding. Cedar siding shakes aregenerally formed by splitting a cedar block along the grain, andfiber-cement siding shakes are generally formed by cross-cutting a plankof fiber-cement siding having a width corresponding to the width of theindividual shakes. Although both cedar and fiber-cement siding shakesare generally rectilinear, the bottom edge of the shakes can be trimmedto different shapes for decorative effect. The bottom edge of theshakes, for example, can be scalloped, triangular, square or a modifiedsquare with rounded corners.

[0004] To install shake siding, a large number of shakes areindividually attached to an exterior wall of a structure using nails,staples or other suitable fasteners. Each shake usually abuts anadjacent shake to form a horizontal row of shakes, and each row ofshakes overlaps a portion of an immediately underlying row of shakes.For example, a first row of shakes is attached to the bottom of thewall, and then each successive row overlaps the top portion of theimmediate underlying row. As such, each shake is generally laterallyoffset from the shakes in the immediately underlying row so that theshakes in one row span across the abutting edges of the shakes in theimmediate underlying row.

[0005] One concern of wood siding shakes is that wood has severaldisadvantages in exterior siding applications. Wood siding, for example,may be undesirable in dry climates or in areas subject to brush firesbecause it is highly flammable. In humid climates, such as Florida, thewood siding shakes are also generally undesirable because they absorbmoisture and may warp or crack. Such warping or cracking may not onlydestroy the aesthetic beauty of the siding, but it may also allow waterto damage the underlying wall. Additionally, wood siding shakes are alsoundesirable in many other applications because insects infest the sidingand other structural components of the structure.

[0006] Another concern with conventional siding shakes made from cedaror fiber-cement siding is that it is time consuming to individuallyattach each shake to a wall. Moreover, additional time is required toindividually trim certain shakes to fit in irregular areas on the wall,such as edges and corners. Thus, installing conventional siding shakesrequires an extensive amount of labor and time.

[0007] To reduce the installation time of installing individual shakes,a particular cedar shake panel has been developed that allows a numberof individual shakes to be hung contemporaneously. The particular cedarshake panels have a plurality of individual shakes attached to a thinbacking strip composed of plywood. More specifically, the top portion ofeach individual shake is nailed, stapled, glued or otherwise connectedto the plywood backing strip. The particular cedar shake panels reducethe labor required to install the shakes because a single panel coversbetween two and four linear feet of wall space that would otherwise needto be covered by individual shakes. Such cedar shake panels, however,are significantly more expensive than individual shakes because theshakes are still individually attached to the plywood backing strip bythe manufacturer. The plywood backing strip also increases the materialcosts because it is not required for installing individual shakes.Moreover, the thin plywood backing strip is particularly subject tomoisture damage that causes significant warping of the panels andcracking of the shakes. Such cedar shake-siding panels, therefore, arenot widely used in humid or wet climates because they are relativelyexpensive and they have significant long-time performance problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is directed toward unitary modular shakepanels, and methods for making and using such shake panels. In oneaspect of the invention, a unitary modular shake panel includes aninterconnecting section composed of a siding material and severalintegral shake sections projecting from the interconnecting section. Thepanel preferably has a quadrilateral shape with first and second edgesalong a longitudinal dimension that are separated from each other by awidth of the panel along a transverse dimension. Additionally, the shakesections are separated from one another by slots extending from thesecond edge to an intermediate width in the panel. In a preferredembodiment, the panel is composed of a unitary piece of fiber-cementsiding with a simulated wood grain running along the transversedimension. The interconnecting section is preferably a web portion ofthe fiber-cement siding piece, and the shake sections are differentportions of the same fiber-cement siding piece defined by the slotsextending in the transverse dimension from the web portion to the secondedge of the panel.

[0009] Modular shake panels in accordance with the invention may be madeusing several different processes. In one embodiment, for example, aplurality of unitary modular shake panels are manufactured by thecutting a plurality of planks from a sheet of siding material, and thenforming slots in the planks to define the web portion and the shakesections of each panel. The planks are preferably cut from the sheet ina direction transverse to a wood grain on the surface of the sheet. Theslots are preferably cut in the planks in the direction of the woodgrain from a longitudinal edge to an intermediate depth within theplanks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a shake-siding panel in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

[0011]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a method for installing and usingthe shake-siding panels shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodimentof the invention.

[0012]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a method for manufacturingshake-siding panels in accordance with the invention.

[0013]FIG. 4A is a schematic isometric view of a method formanufacturing a sheet of fiber-cement siding material having atransverse running grain.

[0014]FIG. 4B is a schematic view of another method for manufacturingshake-siding panels from the sheet of fiber-cement siding manufacturedaccording to FIG. 4A in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention.

[0015] FIGS. 5A-5D are top plan views of several additional embodimentsof shake-siding panels illustrating alternate end shapes for the shakesin accordance with other embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The following description describes unitary modular shake panelsand methods for making and using such shake panels. Although FIGS. 1-5Dand the following description set forth numerous specific details ofparticular embodiments of the invention to provide a thoroughunderstanding for making and using such embodiments, a person skilled inthe relevant art will readily recognize that the present invention canbe practiced without one or more of the specific details reflected inthe embodiments described in the following description.

[0017]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a unitary modular shake panel20 having a length L along a longitudinal dimension and a width W alonga transverse dimension. The length L of the shake panel 20 is typically4 feet, but the length can also be 8′, 10′, 12′ or virtually any otherlength. The width W is typically 16 inches, but the width is typicallyfrom 6¼ to 24 inches. The shake panel 20 has side edges 23 separatedfrom each other by the length L, a top edge 22 extending along thelongitudinal dimension between the upper ends of the side edges 23, anda bottom edge 24 extending along the longitudinal dimension between thebottom ends of the side edges 23. The top and bottom edges 22 and 24 arepreferably substantially parallel to each other and separated by thewidth W of the panel 20. An overlap region 26 defined by the areabetween a first intermediate width W₁ and a second intermediate width W₂also extends along the longitudinal dimension of the panel 20. For atypical 16 inch wide panel 20, W₁ is approximately 9 inches and W₂ isapproximately 10.5-12 inches to define an overlap region 26 having awidth from approximately 1.5 to approximately 3.0 inches.

[0018] The particular embodiment of the shake panel 20 shown in FIG. 1includes a web portion 32 and a plurality of shake sections 30projecting from the web portion 32. The web portion 32 is defined by alongitudinal portion of the panel between the top edge 22 and the firstintermediate dimension W₁. The shake sections 30 are defined bytransverse portions of the panel 20 between the first intermediatedimension W₁ and the bottom edge 24 that are separated from one anotherby a plurality of slots 28 formed in the panel 20. The slots 28preferably extend from the lower edge 24 at least for a distance L_(S)that terminates in the overlapping region 26. The width of the slots 28is exaggerated in FIGS. 1-5D for the purpose of clarity. In practice,the slots 28 preferably have a width from approximately 0.1 inches toapproximately 0.25 inches. The shake sections 30 accordingly have widthsW_(S) corresponding to the distance between slots 28. As explained inmore detail below, the shake widths W_(S) may be regular such that allshakes have the same width W_(S), or they may be irregular such that thewidth W_(S) is different for at least some of the shakes.

[0019] The unitary modular shake panels 20 can be made from manysuitable siding materials in which the web portion 32 and the shakesections 30 are integrally formed from the same piece of sidingmaterial. In a preferred embodiment, the shake panels 20 are pieces offiber-cement siding having a simulated wood grain 27 formed on anexterior surface. The shake sections 30 and the web portion 32 of aparticular panel 20 are preferably formed from a single piece offiber-cement siding. Additionally, the slots 28 preferably extend in thedirection of the simulated wood grain 27. Thus, the slots 28 and thegrain 27 give the appearance of individual shakes to each shake section30.

[0020]FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a method for installing andusing the modular shake panels 20 on a typical wall 34. A plurality ofshake panels 20 a-20 c are attached to the wall 34 along a bottom rowR₁-R₁ near a foundation 35 of a structure. The side edges 23 of onepanel abut the side edges 23 of an adjacent panel (e.g., shown betweenpanels 20 b and 20 c). After installing the panels 20 a-20 c along thebottom row R₁-R₁, another set of shake panels 20 d-20 f are installedalong a second row R₂-R₂. The shake sections 30 of the panels 20 d-20 fin the second row R₂-R₂ overlap the web portions 32 and an upper segmentof the shake sections 30 of each panel 20 a-20 c in the first row R₁-R₁.More specifically, the bottom edges 24 of the panels 20 d-20 f arewithin the overlap region 26 of the panels 20 a-20 c. Additionally, theshake sections 30 of the panels 20 d-20 f preferably cover the abuttingedges between the panels 20 a-20 c.

[0021] In some applications, it is necessary to use partial shakepanels. In any given installation, for example, the height and/or widthof a wall may not be evenly divisible by the full length of the shakepanels, or the wall may not be rectilinear. These two factors, combinedwith the lateral offset of each row relative to the row below it, mayresult in a space along a particular row of shake panels less than thefull-length of a shake panel. In these situations, a partial shake panel(e.g., panel 20 d) is cut to fit in the available space.

[0022] The embodiments of unitary modular shake panels 20 shown in FIGS.1 and 2 generally reduce the time required to install shake sidingcompared to individual wood or fiber-cement shakes. As discussed abovewith reference to the background of the invention, it is time consumingto individually install each shake. The unitary modular shake panels 20,however, cover 4-12 linear feet wall space with shake sections 30 in ashort period of time. Moreover, when the web portion 32 of one panel(e.g., panel 20 a in FIG. 2) is covered by the shake sections 30 of anoverlying panel (e.g., panel 20 e in FIG. 2), the shake sections of theunderlying panel appear to be individual shakes. A row of modular shakepanels 20, therefore, may not only be installed in less time than a rowof individual conventional shakes, but the row of shake panels 20provides an aesthetically pleasing “shaked” appearance.

[0023] In addition to reducing installation time, when the modularshake-siding panels 20 are composed of fiber-cement siding material,they reduce cracking or warping damage compared to conventional woodshakes or conventional wood-shake panels. As discussed above withreference to the background section, conventional wood shakes andwood-shake panels are flammable and subject to moisture and/or insectdamage. Conventional wood-shake panels, for example, are easily damagedby moisture because the thin plywood backing strip is particularlysusceptible to delamination or warping in humid or wet environments. Incontrast to conventional wood-shake panels, the fiber-cement shakepanels 20 are highly resistant to fire, moisture and insects. Thus, thefiber-cement shake panels 20 are expected to last much longer thanconventional wood-shake panels with a plywood backing strip or woodshakes.

[0024]FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a method for manufacturingthe unitary modular shake panels 20. At an initial stage of this method,a plurality of siding planks 50 are formed by cross-cutting a sheet 48of siding material along lines C-C transverse to a grain direction G-Gof the grain 27. The sheet 48 preferably has a width equal to the lengthL of the shake panels 20 and a length evenly divisible by the width W ofthe shake panels 20. Each cross-cut accordingly forms a unitary plank 50of siding material having the overall dimensions of a modular shakepanel 20. A series of slots 28 are then formed along an edge of eachplank 50 to fabricate the shake panels 20 with the shake sections 30 andthe web portion 32. The slots 28 are preferably cut into the planks 50to create a one-piece unitary modular shake panel 20. In otherembodiments, however, the slots 28 may be formed in the planks 50 bymolding, stamping or other suitable processes.

[0025] The planks 50 are preferably cut from a sheet 48 composed offiber-cement siding material using a large shear having opposingserrated blades that span across the width of the panel 48. Suitableshears, for example, are similar to the Model Nos. SS 100 or SS 110pneumatic shears manufactured by Pacific International Tool and Shear,and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,678 and 5,722,386, which areherein incorporated by reference. The planks 50 may also be cut from thesheet using a high-pressure fluid-jet or an abrasive disk. Suitablehigh-pressure fluid-jet cutting systems are manufactured by FlowInternational Corporation of Kent, Wash.

[0026] The slots 28 are preferably cut in planks 50 composed offiber-cement siding material using a reciprocating blade shear. Forexample, suitable reciprocating blade shears are the Model Nos. SS 302and SS 303 shears also manufactured by Pacific International Tool andShear of Kingston, Wash., and disclosed in a U.S. Patent Applicationentitle “HAND-HELD CUTTING TOOL FOR CUTTING FIBER-CEMENT SIDING,” andfiled on Mar. 6, 1998, which is herein incorporated by reference. Theslots 28 can be also cut in fiber-cement siding planks 50 usinghigh-pressure fluid-jets or abrasive disks.

[0027]FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate another embodiment of a method formanufacturing long unitary modular shake panels composed of afiber-cement siding material. Referring to FIG. 4A, a long sheet 130 offiber-cement siding material is formed through a roller assembly 160having a first roller 162 and a second roller 164. The first roller 162has a grain pattern 166 in which the grain direction G-G extendsgenerally transversely to the travel path “P” of the long sheet 130. Thesecond roller 164 is partially submersed in a container 170 holding afiber-cement slurry 132. In operation, the second roller 164 rotatesthrough the slurry and picks up a layer 134 of fiber-cement sidingmaterial. The first roller 162 rotates with the second roller 164 topress the fiber-cement layer 134 to a desired sheet thickness and toemboss a grain pattern onto the long sheet 130 that runs generallytransverse to the length of the long sheet 130. After the long sheet 130is formed, a water-jet cuts the long sheet 130 along line 136 to form asheet 148 of fiber-cement siding material with a width W_(o) and a grainpattern 147 running along the grain direction G-G transverse to a lengthL_(o) of the sheet 148. It will be appreciated that forming the sheet 48(FIG. 3) of fiber-cement siding with a grain 27 extending generallyalong the length of the sheet 48 is known in the art. Unlike theconventional sheet 48, the fiber-cement siding sheet 148 of FIG. 4A hasthe grain pattern 147 running in a grain direction G-G transverse to thelength of the sheet 148.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 4B, another water-jet cutting assembly (notshown) cuts a plurality of long planks 150 from the fiber-cement sidingsheet 148. In one particular embodiment, two separate water-jets cut thesheet 148 along lines 149 a to trim the sides of the sheet 148, and twomore water-jets cut the sheet 148 along lines 149 b to separate theplanks 150. Each plank 150 has a portion of the grain pattern 147extending generally transverse to the length L_(o). After the planks 150are formed, a number of slots 28 are cut in the planks 150 to form longmodular shake panels 120 with a plurality of shake sections 30 extendingfrom an integral web portion 32.

[0029] The particular embodiments of the methods for manufacturingunitary modular shake panels described above with reference to FIGS.3-4B are economical and fast. As described above with reference to thebackground of the invention, conventional wood shake-siding panels aremanufactured by individually attaching wood shakes to a separate plywoodbacking strip. Conventional processes for manufacturing woodshake-siding panels, therefore, are inefficient because each shake mustbe split from a block and then individually attached to the plywoodbacking member. With the unitary modular shake panels 20 or 120,however, the planks 50 or 150 are simply cut from a sheet of sidingmaterial, and then all of the shake sections 30 are quickly formed inthe planks 50 and 150 by cutting the slots 28. Moreover, the unitaryshake-siding panels 20 and 120 do not require an additional, separatebacking member or fasteners to attach individual shakes to such aseparate backing member. Thus, compared to conventional woodshake-siding panels, the methods for fabricating the unitaryshake-siding panels 20 and 120 are expected to reduce the material andlabor costs.

[0030] In addition to the advantages described above, the particularembodiment of the method for fabricating the long unitary fiber-cementshake-siding panels 120 is particularly advantageous for saving time inboth manufacturing and installing the shake-siding panels 120. Forexample, compared to cutting planks 50 from a 4′×8′ sheet 48 offiber-cement siding to have a length of 4 feet, the planks 150 may becut in much longer lengths (e.g., 12 feet). As such, a significantamount of board feet of completed fiber-cement shake-siding panels 120may be manufactured with simple, long cuts that require less time andlabor than making the planks 50. Moreover, because the siding panels 120are longer than siding panels 20, more linear footage of wall space maybe covered by hanging a panel 120 than a panel 20 in about the sametime. Thus, the long siding panels 120 are generally expected to alsoreduce the time and labor required to install fiber-cement sidingshakes.

[0031] FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate several possible shapes for the ends ofthe shake sections 30. For example, FIG. 5A illustrates a shake-sidingpanel 220 a with regular width shake sections 230 a having rounded orscalloped ends 240 a. FIG. 5A also shows a similar shake panel 220 bwith irregular width shake sections 230 b having rounded ends 280 b.FIG. 5B illustrates a regular panel 320 a and an irregular panel 320 bthat have shake sections 330 with triangular, pointed ends 340. FIG. 5Cshows another regular panel 420 a and another irregular panel 420 b thathave shake sections 430 with partially rounded ends 440. Thenon-rectilinear shake ends are useful for enhancing the flexibility indesigning the exterior of a house or office. For example, Victorianhouses usually use shakes having scalloped ends. FIG. 5D shows yetanother regular panel 520 a and irregular panel 520 b that have shakesections 530 with different lengths to develop a rough “wood-lodge”appearance.

[0032] Although specific embodiments of the present invention aredescribed herein for illustrative purposes, persons skilled in therelevant art will recognize that various equivalent modifications arepossible within the scope of the invention. The foregoing descriptionaccordingly applies to other unitary modular shake panels, and methodsfor making and using such shake-panels. In general, therefore, the termsin the following claims should not be construed to limit the inventionto the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. Thus, theinvention is not limited by the foregoing description, but instead thescope of the invention is determined entirely by the following claims.

Exhibit A

[0033] Appl. No. Atty Dkt # Applicants Field Title 09/074,809 UnknownKurt May Unitary U.S. Pat. No. Waggoner 7, Modular Shake- 6,276,107 etal. 1998 Siding Panels, and Methods for Making and Using Such Shake-Siding Panels 09/935,208 319578006US1 Kurt Aug. Unitary Waggoner 21,Modular Shake- et al. 2001 Siding Panels, and Methods for Making andUsing Such Shake- Siding Panels Not yet 501301.02 Kurt Feb. Unitaryassigned Waggoner 3, Modular Shake- et al. 2003 Siding Panels, andMethods for Making and Using Such Shake- Siding Panels

[0034] H:\IP\Documents\Clients\Pacific Int'l Tool &Shear\501301.02\501301.02 Rev POA Exhibit A.doc

1. A modular shake panel comprising: a panel of siding material havingfirst and second longitudinal edges extending along a longitudinaldimension, the first and second edges being spaced apart from oneanother by a width transverse to the longitudinal dimension, and aplurality of slots extending transverse to the longitudinal dimensionfrom the second edge to an intermediate location in the panel betweenthe first and second edges to define an interconnecting section of thepanel and a plurality of integral shake sections projecting from theinterconnecting section.
 2. The modular shake panel of claim 1 whereinthe slots have widths from approximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.3inches.
 3. The modular shake panel of claim 1 wherein the slots areirregularly spaced in the longitudinal direction.
 4. The modular shakepanel of claim 1 wherein the slots are regularly spaced in thelongitudinal direction.
 5. The modular shake panel of claim 1 whereinthe panel of siding material comprises fiber-cement siding.
 6. Themodular shake panel of claim 5 wherein the fiber-cement panel has asimulated wood grain running generally in a direction along thetransverse dimension.
 7. The modular shake panel of claim 6 wherein thepanel has a length of at least six feet along the longitudinaldimension, the grain running transverse to the longitudinal dimension.8. A unitary modular shake panel comprising: a web portion having alength along a longitudinal dimension and a width along a transversedimension; and a plurality of shake sections projecting transverselyfrom the web, the shake sections being integral with the web, and theshake sections being spaced apart from one another along thelongitudinal dimension of the web.
 9. The unitary modular shake panel ofclaim 8 wherein a length of the shake sections along the transversedimension is a selected portion of the width of the panel.
 10. Theunitary modular shake panel of claim 8 wherein the shake sections havewidths along the longitudinal dimension from approximately 1.0 inch toapproximately 16 inches.
 11. The unitary modular shake panel of claim 8wherein the shake panel has at least a first shake section and a secondshake section, the first shake section having a different width than thesecond shake section.
 12. The unitary modular shake panel of claim 8wherein the shake panel has at least a first shake section and a secondshake section, the first shake section having a width at leastsubstantially equal to the width of the second shake section.
 13. Theunitary modular shake panel of claim 8 wherein the panel comprisesfiber-cement siding.
 14. The unitary modular shake panel of claim 13wherein the shake panel has a simulated wood grain running generallyacross the panel in a grain direction along the transverse dimension.15. A unitary modular shake panel having a longitudinal dimension and atransverse dimension, comprising: an interconnecting section defined bya first portion of the panel extending in the longitudinal dimensionbetween a first longitudinal edge of the panel and an intermediate widthof the panel; and a plurality of shake sections defined by a secondportion of the panel integral with the interconnecting section, eachshake section projecting from the interconnecting section along thetransverse dimension, and the shake sections being spaced apart from oneanother by gaps extending from the intermediate width of the panel. 16.The modular shake panel of claim 15 wherein the gaps have widths fromapproximately 0.1 inches to approximately 0.3 inches.
 17. The modularshake panel of claim 15 wherein the gaps are irregularly spaced apartfrom one another in the longitudinal dimension.
 18. The modular shakepanel of claim 15 wherein the gaps are regularly spaced apart from oneanother in the longitudinal dimension.
 19. The modular shake panel ofclaim 15 wherein the panel comprises fiber-cement siding material. 20.The modular shake panel of claim 19 wherein the fiber-cement panel has asimulated wood grain.
 21. The modular shake panel of claim 20 whereinthe panel has a length at least six feet long along the longitudinaldimension, the simulated grain running transverse to the longitudinaldimension.
 22. A method of manufacturing unitary modular shake panels,comprising: forming a plurality of slots in a plank of siding materialhaving first and second longitudinal edges extending along alongitudinal dimension and spaced apart from one another by a widthtransverse to the longitudinal dimension, the slots extendingtransversely from the second longitudinal edge of the plank to anintermediate width within the plank, and the slots being located atdifferent longitudinal positions along the second longitudinal edge todefine an interconnecting section of the plank and a plurality ofintegral shake sections projecting from the interconnecting section. 23.The method of claim 22 wherein forming the slots comprises cutting theslots in the plank from the second longitudinal edge to the intermediatewidth.
 24. The method of claim 22 wherein forming the slots comprisesmolding the slots in the plank from the second longitudinal edge to theintermediate width.
 25. The method of claim 22 wherein forming the slotscomprises stamping the slots in the plank from the second longitudinaledge to the intermediate width.
 26. The method of claim 22, furthercomprising forming the slots at a plurality of regularly spacedlongitudinal positions along the second longitudinal edge of the plank.27. The method of claim 22, further comprising forming the slots at aplurality of irregularly spaced longitudinal positions along the secondlongitudinal edge of the plank.
 28. The method of claim 22, furthercomprising cutting a plurality of planks from a sheet of fiber-cementsiding material having a longitudinal dimension, a transverse dimensionand a simulated wood grain running in a grain direction along thelongitudinal dimension, wherein the planks are cut along the transversedimension from the sheet of siding material.
 29. The method of claim 2,further comprising cutting a plurality of planks from a sheet offiber-cement siding material having a longitudinal dimension, atransverse dimension and a wood grain running in a grain direction alongthe transverse dimension, wherein the planks are cut along thelongitudinal dimension from the sheet of siding material.
 30. A methodof manufacturing unitary modular shake panels, comprising: forming aplurality of shake sections along a web portion, each shake sectionbeing an integral projection of the web portion, and each shake havingside edges extending at least substantially perpendicular to the webportion.
 31. The method of claim 30 wherein forming the shake sectionscomprises cutting a plurality of slots in a plank to leave the webportion and the shake sections projecting from the web portion.
 32. Themethod of claim 30 wherein forming the shake sections comprises moldinga plurality of slots in a portion of a plank to leave the web portionand the shake sections projecting from the web portion.
 33. The methodof claim 30 wherein forming the shake sections comprises stamping aplurality of slots in a plank to leave the web portion and the shakesections projecting from the web portion.
 34. The method of claim 30,further comprising forming the shake sections at a plurality ofregularly spaced positions along a plank to leave the web portion andthe shake sections projecting from the web portion.
 35. The method ofclaim 30, further comprising forming the shake sections at a pluralityof irregularly spaced positions along a plank to leave the web portionand the shake sections projecting from the web portion.
 36. The methodof claim 30, further comprising cutting a plurality of planks from asheet of fiber-cement siding material having a longitudinal dimension, atransverse dimension and a simulated wood grain running in a graindirection along the longitudinal dimension, wherein the planks are cutalong the transverse dimension from the sheet of siding material. 37.The method of claim 30, further comprising cutting a plurality of planksfrom a sheet of fiber-cement siding material having a longitudinaldimension, a transverse dimension and a simulated wood grain running ina grain direction along the transverse dimension, wherein the planks arecut along the longitudinal dimension from the sheet of siding material.38. A method of manufacturing unitary modular shake panels comprising:embossing a simulated wood grain onto a surface of a fiber-cement sidingsheet so that the grain runs in a grain direction transverse to alongitudinal dimension of the sheet; cutting a plurality of planks fromthe sheet along the longitudinal dimension of the sheet, each plankhaving a length at least approximately equal to the longitudinaldimension of the sheet and a width transverse to the longitudinaldimension; and forming a plurality of slots in at least a first plankcut from the sheet, each slot extending transversely from a longitudinaledge of the first plank to an intermediate width within the first plank,and the slots being spaced apart from one another along the longitudinaledge to define an interconnecting section of the first plank and aplurality of integral shake sections projecting from the interconnectingsection.
 39. The method of claim 38 wherein forming the slots in thefirst plank comprises cutting the first plank from the longitudinal edgeto an intermediate point within the first plank.
 40. The method of claim38 wherein forming the slots in the first plank comprises molding theslots in the first plank.
 41. The method of claim 38 wherein forming theslots in the first plank comprises stamping the slots in the firstplank.
 42. A method of using unitary modular shake panels comprising:attaching a first row of unitary modular shake panels to a wall, eachshake panel having first and second longitudinal edges extending along alongitudinal panel dimension and being separated by a panel width, eachshake panel having side edges along a transverse dimension separated bythe first and second longitudinal edges, each panel having alongitudinal overlap zone between a first intermediate panel width and asecond intermediate panel width, and each shake panel having a webportion and a plurality of shake sections integral with the web portionand projecting from the web portion, wherein the first row of panels isattached to the wall such that a side edge of one panel abuts a sideedge of an adjacent panel; and attaching a second row of unitary modularshake panels to the wall, wherein the second row of shake panels areattached to the wall to overlap the first row of shake panels to alocation in the overlap zone of the first row of shake panels.
 43. Themethod of claim 42, further comprising positioning each panel of thesecond row such that a shake section in the second row overlaps theabutting side edges of a pair of panels in the first row.
 44. The methodof claim 42, further comprising trimming a selected unitary modularshake panel into a selected size and shape such that the selected shakepanel fits in a wall space less than a full length panel.
 45. A unitarymodular shake panel produced by a process, comprising: embossing asimulated wood grain onto a surface of a fiber-cement siding sheet sothat the grain generally runs in a grain direction transverse to alongitudinal dimension of the sheet; cutting a plurality of planks fromthe sheet along the longitudinal dimension of the sheet, each plankhaving a length at least approximately equal to the longitudinaldimension of the sheet and a width equal to a desired panel width; andforming a plurality of slots in at least a first plank cut from thesheet, the slots extending transversely from a longitudinal edge of thefirst plank to an intermediate width within the first plank, and theslots being located at different longitudinal positions along thelongitudinal edge to define an interconnecting section of the plank anda plurality of integral shake sections projecting from theinterconnecting section.
 46. A unitary modular shake panel made by aprocess, comprising: forming a plurality of slots in a plank of sidingmaterial having first and second longitudinal edges extending along alongitudinal dimension and spaced apart from one another by a widthtransverse to the longitudinal dimension, the slots extendingtransversely from the second longitudinal edge of the sheet to anintermediate width within the sheet and being located at differentlongitudinal positions along the edge to define an interconnectingsection of the sheet and a plurality of integral shake sectionsprojecting from the interconnecting section.